Summoned Strike
by Rikriel Rezier
Summary: Ever wondered what a GF feels like when it's summoned for the stupidest thing? Ifrit loses his patience in my first proper Fanfic! Disclaimer I don't own any of the characters.
1. Chapter 1

Zell Dincht rose from his bed. The dorm was empty again, and that's just the way he liked it. He realised that Seifer must be out on his routine of bullying the Junior Classmen, and clenched his fists in rage. One day he was going to drive a punch into his face, and do it hard. But Zell had no time to think about that; instead he quickly checked his watch.

"Perfect. I'll be first this time!"

Zell rushed to put on his usual clothes. Long blue shorts and a dark jacket was his usual daily fashion. It was extravagant, as he was. After putting on his Metal Knuckles, – only because he felt more confident with them on – Zell sprinted in the direction of his favourite place in all of Garden, the Cafeteria.

A dark figure stood silently outside the Dorm halls, watching the ground. And, as Zell turned to look at this person, his wristwatch started bleeping, and the sharp sound echoed through the ground floor of Balamb Garden.

"Aww man! I'm never gonna get my hotdogs!"

Squall Leonhart, the student with the eternally blank face (apart from a large red scar covering his forehead) looked up to see the blond-haired and tattooed student he knew do well. He also noticed that this student was approaching him, which meant a definite conversation would follow.

"Hey Squall! I just missed the morning queue; can you believe it?"

Squall's expression didn't change, it hardly ever did.

"Anyway." Zell continued, "You wanna go to the Training Center? I've got my gloves on me, so we might as well, yeah?"

Squall contemplated this, and thoughts - possible answers – circled his troubled mind. Squall spent most of his day training, and he hadn't been today. He reluctantly accepted, and the pair began to make their way to the TC, but something stopped them straight away.


	2. Chapter 2

There was recently another exchange period in the three Gardens, students from Trabia and Galbadia would come to Balamb, and some at Balamb went to one of the other two. A girl, about the same age as the two males that were heading to train, stumbled into view. Squall remembered her from before, when she arrived at Garden with the other people from Trabia, looking all bubbly and carefree. She came closer to the couple.

"Hey guys! I heard you were going to the Training Center! Since I've never been, can I come with you? Pleeeeaase?"

Zell's face brightened up. It wasn't the fact that it a girl, no, he wasn't interested in any gender, but the fact that he had a potential friend to make. Zell liked to be liked.

"Sure, you can come! The more the better!"

Squall remained silent, really not caring to meet anyone new. In fact he didn't like meeting new people at all.

"By the way…" My name's Selphie! Pleased to meet ya!" The exchange student almost yelled.

Zell put his hand in front of him, for a handshake, with a huge grin spread wide on his face.

"Name's Zell Dincht!"

Selphie gripped Zell's outstretched hand, and shook vigorously, obviously glad that someone was like her in this new place.

"And who's this?" Selphie gestured towards the quiet Squall.

Squall didn't answer, he thought it was pointless when he knew Zell was going to do it anyway. And Squall didn't much feel like socializing, either.

"Oh don't mind him." Zell stated. "He's Squall. He can be a bit quiet sometimes…well, all the time."

With that, Squall turned and started to the Training Center alone, although it wasn't long until the others caught up. This behaviour was expected of Squall, it was what he was like, what he would normally do. He was unsociable, much preferring to strengthen and improve his skills with a Gunblade, than be around people. Even with this, though, he was still well liked and popular at Garden, and was one of the top students in his class. The group turned into the walkway leading the TC, following the green arrow beneath their feet.


	3. Chapter 3

As they entered, through large metal doors, the smell and humid atmosphere instantly hit them. The place was more like a jungle, than an area in a Military Academy. Sounds rang through the air, each monsters call different, but still menacing. The trio dug deeper into the dense greenery, being careful not to touch the electric fence that circled the Training Center. Selphie shivered slightly, this was not what she expected, and knowing that a real monster could attack her at any moment freaked her out. Still, she knew that she could hold her own against some of the creature here.

Squall, Zell and Selphie emerged from the forestry and each of them looked around. There was a rustle in the bushes not too far away, and Squall drew his blade. Preparing for the inevitable fight ahead, Selphie revealed her weapon and raised her shinobou to eye-level.

A single Grat popped out from the leaves, it's body flailing pathetically in the artificial wind. However this did not mean that the trio stood before it would give any mercy. Squall could easily tell that this was going to be a short battle, and decided not to waste any time.

With a single thought, a huge, blazing beast fell to the ground, letting out a deafening roar. Squall had summoned Ifrit, and now the Grat's life was about to end.

Ifrit stopped. He wouldn't usually do this, but was surprised to see just one puny creature cowering below him.

'What? It's only a stupid Grat, why the hell did they summon me?' Ifrit thought, aflame with confusion.

Nevertheless, he knew he had to strike. If his master had put in the effort to call him, he would have the effort to attack the enemy. He decided to use his trademark Hell Fire move, and the Grat perished immediately amidst its cries of terror.

However, Ifrit stayed where he was, and turned towards his master and the companions that were with him.

"Look, that was only a Grat. I think you could've handled that just as well by yourself, OK? Don't waste my time." Ifrit roared, before dissolving into his surroundings.

"What's with him? If we summon him, he has to come anyway, right?" Zell stated.

Squall was as confused as Ifrit. This had never happened before. GF's never spoke, let alone show disregard for their rulers. It was certainly strange, and this left Squall thinking for a moment. After a brief thought, though, he ignored the outburst from Ifrit and continued looking for battles. It took longer for Zell to accept the event, as Ifrit was usually junctioned to him, and he had never once seen his favourite summon act this way. Selphie had only heard the rumours of GF's and thought that this was normal behaviour.

It wasn't long before the group encountered another batch of enemies. A Bomb and two Grats appeared together, from around a corner, and began to attack straight away. The Bomb rushed at Selphie, and burnt her hands, which were stretched out in front of her for protection. Zell got angered at this, and knew of the most painful way to dismiss the ball of flames.

"Shiva." He mumbled, with a swipe of his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

The temperature dropped, frost spreading through nearby grass, before a huge shard of ice exploded from the ground. The woman inside was Shiva, manipulator of ice. She broke out of her icy prison, and watched the two Grats hide on the edge of the path, leaving only the Bomb in her wake. A great valley of frosted glass shattered through the Bomb's scarlet hide. Then it was all over, and Shiva disappeared.

The two Grats, knowing that the danger had ceased, rushed back out to confront the team of students, but the battle hadn't ended yet, and Squall had a trick up his sleeve. He thought again of Ifrit, the burning battalion, and silently brought him back to this world to destroy the green pests.

Ifrit arrived, slower than usual it seemed, but he still came. However, when he saw what he was facing, his face dropped in anger.

'Not one this time, but two. He must be having a laugh.'

Ifrit faced the party once again.

"Is this some kind of joke? If you can handle one Grat, why do you need me for two?"

Silence.

"Okay, but next time, make sure you need me before you call!"

A sphere of pure flame turned the Grats to nothing but ashes, and the team relaxed, well, they kind of relaxed. Ifrit was acting weird, and the two men of the group didn't like that. Squall, being the guy that he was, didn't want to have to deal with it anymore; he didn't want to be its master any longer. So he decided to let it go, and pass it off as an act of kindness. He moved to Selphie.

"You should have a summon. Take Ifrit."

Selphie reaction was a happy one, she knew how to junction GF's after reading about it in the Garden Library, and she finally had got the chance to put her knowledge into practice.

"Hey, thanks Squall!" She cried.


	5. Chapter 5

After another hour of walking around, the three students began to get bored. Squall wondered where all the monsters actually were, but Zell Dincht kept distracting his concentration. Zell was jumping on the spot, his gloved fists flying at the air in front of him with raw power. It was annoying. Still, his practice didn't continue for much longer as a Granaldo, along with a Raldo, engaged them in battle.

Selphie didn't know what to do, she had just got a GF, and she was dying to use, but didn't know if she should.

"Hey Squall! Can I summon Ifrit?"

Squall answered her question with his single most used line.

"…Whatever."

"Okay!" Selphie's voice echoed. "Help us Ifrit!"

Ifrit appeared from above a third time, and he was not happy. Before unleashing his power on the two monsters, he unleashed his anger on the three humans standing beneath him.

"Why can't you just leave me alone? You don't ALWAYS need my help, fight your own damn battles! You're so damn ANNOYING! Do me a favour and summon someone else next time!"

He got ready to annihilate the creatures that the three were facing, but instead hesitated.

"Y'know what? I'm not gonna help you anymore, so SUMMON SOMEONE ELSE!"

The sky emptied, and the Granaldo (and friend) were left untouched.

"Goddamn that beast." Squall mumbled.


	6. Chapter 6

Zell took the whole situation quite badly. What was Ifrit? Depressed? What the hell was wrong with him? Instead of being angered, Zell got quite upset at the matter; he knew that Ifrit must have been feeling really bad to suddenly do all this. But he couldn't stop and think now; there were two great big creatures facing him, with a lust for the taste of his blood.

They did emerge victorious from the battle, but their minds were racing with what happened not too long before. Ifrit had gone too far, he had actually disobeyed his orders, and while the group were trying to think of a way to punish a giant flaming demon, that particular demon was trying to think of a way to punish them.

Now, have you ever thought that when a GF appears, it must come from somewhere? And when it goes, it must go to some place? Some might say that they live in your brain, but they'd be wrong. There is a mystical place far far away, where all the summons live. And in this place, Ifrit was sitting on a rock, deep in conversation with his colleague, and long time friend, Shiva.

"I just don't get it. Why do they constantly call me? I've got much better things to do with my time, and most of the time the enemies are pathetic weaklings anyway…"

"Look." Shiva exclaimed, "Don't let it get to you, just go with it, and do what they say. Anyway, I thought you loved killing things."

"Yeah, I do. But I go much deeper than that, and when the enemies are so weak, it's just no sport; you know what I mean?"

The two GF's continued to talk, until a new face approached them.

"Hey. I haven't seen you around before. What's ya name?" Ifrit asked, trying to give a good first impression on the new guy.

"The names Yojimbo, and I couldn't help but notice that you're not happy with the way your masters are treating you."

This new summon sure sounded confident, for a new guy.

"When my master wants to summon me, I don't try and help, unless they pay me of course."

Ifrit and Shiva's face were aghast in surprise. They had never though of that, and it seemed like a perfect idea. Make them pay you before you attack, genius! It was like a strike!

"Yeah!" Ifrit spoke fiercely.

"Yeah! We'll go on strike! Make the bastards pay us before we help 'em!"

It sure was a great idea, and straight away Ifrit got to try it out. Selphie was summoning him again.


	7. Chapter 7

He emerged from the void of his home, with a smug smile on his scarlet face. Zell was the first to question this.

"Hey, what're you so happy about?" Zell asked.

"Pay me."

"Wha…?"

"Pay me, or I won't help."

Squall had had enough. Ifrit had taken it over the top now, and he wasn't going to take it anymore. The GF's job was to obey its master, and help them defeat any foe. But Ifrit didn't seem to want to comply. He rose his voice, so it was almost a full-blown shout.

"No."

"What did you say?" Ifrit roared, his jagged white teeth drooling with hate.

"We are not going to do what you say. You WILL obey us and do as we tell you."

Ifrit exploded in rage.

"WHAT? YOU DARE DEFY ME? YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR IGNORANCE!"

A huge ball of white flame rose around the beast. It slowly ascended to Ifrit's jaws, before he snapped his head upwards in fury, letting out a thunderous growl. Ifrit couldn't control his anger, nor could he control what was happening. He couldn't wait any longer, and an inferno escaped from Ifrit's blood red lips.

The GF's impatience would cost it dearly.

The fire boomed over the group's head, though it singed the top of Zell's quiff, turning it a charcoal black. Squall, Zell and Selphie darted around on the spot to see the destruction the fireball would cause. Then they saw the other student.

No matter how loud they shouted, the blast overpowered their voices. The student, however, noticed this and looked upwards slowly, to come face to face with a flaming ball as big as a T-Rexaur.

It was too late. The fire consumed him, and he faced the terrible fate of all the creatures that Ifrit dealt with before him. After the smoke had cleared, there was nothing left of him but his name badge, sizzling at the edges. Ifrit was in big trouble; he knew it straight away.

"Oh crap." He spoke, quietly for once.


	8. Chapter 8

Selphie and Zell could only stare, fixated at the black collision mark on the ground, their eyes welling up with tears. Squall turned to Ifrit.

"Umm…if…if you keep this a secret, you won't have to pay me anymore, OK?" Ifrit told Squall while having a flashback at what he had just done.

"Fine." Squall replied.

A few seconds later, Zell darted to the entrance of the Training Center, his mind fixed at his objective. Squall knew immediately what he was going to do, and chased after him. Zell was fast, and Squall could only watch in horror as his eccentric friend travelled up in the elevator, to the second floor. But Squall didn't give up, not yet. He shouted with all his might, to try and get Zell to listen, but it didn't work, Zell just couldn't hear him.

Up on the second floor, Zell raced through the hallway, and eventually stopping in the classroom. Instructor Quistis Trepe was sitting at her desk, looking through some paperwork, when Zell entered. She looked up.

"Instructor Instructor! Squall summoned Ifrit, but he went mad and killed someone! Help me!"

Quistis rose from her chair, and slowly made her way to the Headmaster's office.

And so the story ends. Ifrit, having found out of Zell's actions, formed the Guardian Forces Union. Now, whenever they are called, the summoner has to pay a fee, or no deal.


End file.
